(c) Dreamworks

And as is the wont of any good Goddess of Chaos, Eris (whose fluid movements bring to mind a bizarre hybrid of both The Little Mermaid’s Ursula and Ariel) sure likes to mess with people: along his quest to retrieve the Book of Peace (which, theologians take note, could be construed as a stand-in for the Bible or any other holy tome), she tosses several obstacles into Sinbad’s path, including a girl group of singing Sirens and a giant snowbird that combines both traditional and digital animation elements. These action sequences are the tent poles holding up the movie, and their nail-biting excitement and visual zing, luxuriously wrapped in Harry Gregson-Williams’ majestic score, bring the film to life.

While it wont replace the retro feasts of Harryhausen’s early Sinbads, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas is a pleasant enough diversion, an afternoon snack, if you will: you won’t recall it when you sit down at the big table, but it will hold you over just fine in the mean time.

Toon Talk Rating: B-

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Toon Talk Trivia:

• Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas is rated PG for its intense action scenes, mature themes and … gasp! … a brief glimpse of nudity.
• Co-director Tim Johnson also directed Antz and will also helm the upcoming Over the Hedge and Tusker for DreamWorks.
• Brad Pitt (Sinbad) starred in Ralph Bakshi’s live action/animated fantasy Cool World.
• Catherine Zeta-Jones (Marina) won the Oscar earlier this year for her vampish Velma Kelly in Miramax’s Chicago.
• Michelle Pfeiffer (Eris) also voiced Tzipporah, Moses’ wife, in The Prince of Egypt.
• Disney voice fave Jim Cummings (Winnie the Pooh, Tigger) can also be heard in Sinbad as various additional characters.
• Zeta-Jones’ Chicago co-star Christine Baranski was originally cast as Eris, when the role was more comedic, less sultry.
• Composer Harry Gregson-Williams also contributed music to Antz, The Prince of Egypt, The Tigger Movie, Chicken Run, Spy Kids and Shrek. He is currently working on the score for next summer’s Shrek 2.

Coming Soon:

• Disney’s own bloodthirsty buccaneers, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl sets sail on July 9^th.
• If its summer, it must be time for another Spy Kids movie: adding 3-D, Salma Hayek and Sylvester Stallone into the mix, Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over premieres on July 25^th.
• Piglet’s Big Movie makes its small-screen, DVD debut on July 29^th.
• Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan step into the body-switched shoes of Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster in the new remake of Freaky Friday, which actually opens on a Wednesday, August 6^th.